Creating thriving backyard ecosystems you can enjoy and be proud of. Because nature isn’t just “out there.” It’s all around us, including right outside our doors.
Join us as we ignite our curiosity and natural wonder, explore our yards and communities, and improve our local pollinator and wildlife habitat.
Welcome to Backyard Ecology™
Do you want to…
🦋 learn more about the native plants, pollinators, wildlife, and other organisms that call your yard and community home?
🦋 create an eco-friendly yard that is full of life, but still provides places to play with your kids, grandkids, fur babies, or friends?
🦋 have your landscaping to be accepted by your neighbors and an inspiration for others?
🦋 reduce your yard maintenance so you have time to enjoy other things in your life?
🦋 be a good steward of your land and leave a legacy that includes making the world an ecologically better place?
Are you…
🦋 feeling overwhelmed?
🦋 unsure where to start or what to do next?
🦋 frustrated by the overly generalized, overly simplified, and often polarized information available online, in social media, and other locations?
🦋 searching for a balanced approach that considers your unique goals, property, and circumstances?
We understand and get it. We created Backyard Ecology™ to help you confidently create pollinator and wildlife habitat that you can enjoy and be proud of.
Our focus on the eastern U.S. means that the information we share is applicable to you and where you live.
Backyard Ecology has taught me so much about not only native plants but also the benefits of creating an ecology landscape. I like that the content is down to earth and is not too scientific. It also understands that some people are just starting out and encourages them.
~ Becky
I enjoy learning more about ecosystems, gardening, and plants from experts, who can offer insights into “why” and “how” things work, instead of just saying “It works, do it.”
~ Alex
Thank you guys for all of the wonderful content and advice that you guys “assemble” and share! I can only imagine that it involves a tremendous amount of work to create such content, and you guys are heroes in my humble book! I have learned so much from your great videos and newsletter! (please count me as a huge fan!)
~ Travis
Finding your unique path…
We recognize there are no cookie-cutter or one-size-fits-all answers. The “right” answer is different for everyone and can change over time. We want to meet you where you are at in your ecological journey and be there for you as your needs change.
We offer multiple ways to join us at a variety of price points including lots of free content. Keep reading to find your path for connecting with us and becoming a Backyard Ecologist™.
The Backyard Ecology™ Community is for you, if….
- you live in the eastern U.S.
- you want your property to look nice while also attracting and supporting local pollinators and wildlife.
- you dream of creating habitat and a thriving ecosystem on your property, not just another garden.
- you struggle with figuring out how to apply everything you’ve read or watched about habitat creation to your specific location and situation.
- you feel frustrated and overwhelmed from trying to do everything by yourself.
- you are tired of generic, cookie-cutter solutions that never seem quite “right” for your situation.
- you wish you could have ongoing mentoring, coaching, and support from experts and others who are doing all the things you dream of doing.
I used to think I only had two options for creating my dream native backyard. One option was to spend thousands of dollars for a professional to do it for me. The other was to spend thousands of hours teaching myself and making lots of mistakes along the way. Then, I found the Backyard Ecology Community. The Community’s unique combination of comprehensive instruction with direct access to professionals with 25+ years of experience and the accountability of a community has empowered me to achieve my dream backyard more quickly and economically than I previously thought possible.
~ Amanda
I have access to lots of people who have plant knowledge, but it is really nice to have a source of people who are thinking about the plants as part of an ecosystem and not just a garden. Every time I participate in the Backyard Ecology™ Community, I go away with a piece of information that I didn’t know before.
~ Sue Ann
What sets Shannon and Anthony apart is that they are not only good at their chosen career, they’re passionate about their chosen careers. For me, the biggest benefit has been guidance in the many directions you can go. I keep trying to make this way too hard and they keep coming up with easier ways to do it and encouraging me to focus so I get more done.
~ Darrell
Our courses and coaching programs are for you, if….
- you live in the eastern U.S.
- you want your property to look nice while also attracting and supporting local pollinators and wildlife.
- you dream of creating habitat and a thriving ecosystem on your property, not just another garden.
- you are looking for strategic, actionable steps that you can take to create, maintain, or improve pollinator and wildlife habitat.
- you want to dive deep into a specific topic.
Making and keeping a yard/garden can be daunting. I appreciated not only Shannon and Anthony’s vast, unbiased knowledge but also their encouraging attitudes. Breaking it down into steps AND having coaches with a positive, helpful attitude is the bees’ knees. And we all love bees. 😊
~ Katherine
This program was a breakthrough for me. I’ve made a lot of attempts at turning my backyard into a nature oasis over the last 3 years or so and learned a lot, but I feel like this program helped me put it all together. The way each session built upon the previous ones and came together to make a plan for creating my backyard oasis exceeded my expectations.
~ Amanda
Shannon and Anthony are well equipped with scientific knowledge and intellectual credibility, but they are also uniquely able to impart that knowledge in a down to earth way that makes it easy for people of all backgrounds to benefit from the program.
~ Allison
Our workshops are for you, if….
- you live in the eastern U.S.
- you are interested in creating pollinator and wildlife habitat or growing native plants.
- you want a bite-sized introduction to a specific topic.
- you are looking for strategic, actionable steps that you can take to achieve your goals.
After doing what you suggested, I discovered 3 native plant nurseries within 20 minutes of my home! It’s a small world, and it is amazing how much help you have already been to me!
~ Jim
I love how interactive this was, other participants brought up questions that I hadn’t thought of but were very helpful. I also love the community oriented atmosphere.
~ Anonymous
You taught me many things that I didn’t realize I needed to know. There’s a lot of information out there, but you don’t always know what you are missing.
~ Allison
The Backyard Ecologist™’s Newsletter is for you, if….
- you are interested in the native plants, pollinators, wildlife, and ecosystems of the eastern U.S.
- you enjoy the Backyard Ecology™ blog, podcast, and YouTube channel.
- you want to get to know us a little better.
- you appreciate having all of the Backyard Ecology™ content delivered to your inbox in one easy package every week.
- you want to make sure you hear about any upcoming workshops, courses, or other Backyard Ecology™ news.
Each Thursday, when your newsletter arrives in my inbox, it’s like a breath of fresh air. Thank you for creating it.
~ Dorothy
I loved your recent email about small spaces. You gave folks some great ideas for how to grow no matter how small the space.
~ Marty
Just a quick but sincere “thank you” for sharing your insight and knowledge of the world we share! You open new doors of understanding in a way that is easy to grasp! Thanks!
~ Jimmy
Our YouTube channel, blog articles, and podcast episodes are for you, if….
- you love learning about nature.
- you are interested in the native plants, pollinators, wildlife, and ecosystems of the eastern U.S.
I love all of Anthony’s videos! I usually watch a new one 2 or 3 times, then watch it again later and take notes in my garden notebook for future reference. I am very grateful for the many hours you both put into gathering correct and meaningful information for all of us. Thank you.
~ Fran
So informative! I’ve learned so much from this podcast. Great variety in the guests and I really appreciate that it’s evidence-based. Shannon is so enthusiastic. I’m going through the archives.
~ Wild Quinine
I enjoy your blog which is interesting, practical, and wide-ranging in topics. Thank you.
~ Sarah
We look forward to helping you…
🦋 have fun learning about the plants, pollinators, and wildlife that can be found in your yard and community.
🦋 transform your yard from a pollinator no fly zone and ecological desert to a miniature ecosystem brimming with pollinators and wildlife!
🦋 get expert habitat creation and management advice that is tailored for your unique goals and situation.
🦋 become a good steward of your land.
You can make a positive ecological difference, have fun doing it, and still enjoy the lifestyle that you want.
Backyard Ecology™’s Guiding Principles:
🦋 Curiosity: Nature is fun, interesting, and worth exploring. We will never know everything. Answers lead to more questions. That’s half the fun.
🦋 Balanced: You don’t have to choose. You can support nature AND have a beautiful property that you can enjoy and be proud of.
🦋 Science informed: Habitat creation and management should be based on the latest scientific research available.
🦋 Stewardship: Anyone can make a positive difference in the natural world and leave an ecological legacy on their property.
This is the answer that I’ve been looking for! For a year I have been trying to figure out a way to create a wetland habitat on my 3/4 acre (woods adjacent property) in Louisville and just couldn’t get my mind out of pond mode. When I heard no pumps, no cascading water feature, no stone border, etc., the sky opened up. And when I heard no mosquitos, and low maintenance I was sold.
~ Tim
More than a Mud Puddle: The Exciting World of Vernal Pools
I am so glad to see you all on YouTube, growing your channel and media footprint. I am so glad to know that I was there way back when you were putting out such awesome content before many knew about you. I love your body of work and look forward to more great content as you expand and grow.
~ John
The material goes beyond the normal gardening for natives tips that get regurgitated everywhere. Your work ties back to ecological health and that is what is important, not just having pretty flowers that save butterflies.
~ Anonymous
Thank you to our Patrons who provide monthly financial support for the Backyard Ecology™ blog, podcast, and YouTube channel!
Megan Amaral, Julie Krygier, Lizabeth, Russel Furnari, Crystal Robinson, Karen Veleta, Linda Relson, Kevin B, Sally Mirick, Crystal Dyamonds, Mitchell Bell, Laura Hunt, Sue Ann Barnes, Adrienne Richardson, J. Adam Perkey, Ariel, Cara Flinn, David Todd, Darrell Williams, LaVonne Fitts, Cathy, Michael, Tom Winner, Eric Fleming, Julie, SB H, Christopher Scully, Craig, Rachel Antonucci, Melissa Egbertson, Amanda Serenevy, Switzy, CotswoldsCottageMA, Vilma Fabre, Pia O Nomata, and Tyler.
Our Gift to You
Did you know that garden hardiness zones are unimportant when it comes to gardening with native plants?
If you’re like most people, then probably not. But when it comes to growing native plants, ecoregions are more important than the more familiar plant hardiness zones.
Learn more in our e-book, An Introduction to Gardening with Native Plants: Hardiness Zones and Ecoregions. It’s our gift to you to help you on your ecological journey.
